DJ Jim Q's Playlist: Now

The theme this month is Now. Selected by the our fine friends from the Buffalo chapter. This theme got me thinking about how I compose these playlists each month. One of the things I truly enjoy about gathering music for the playlists is that it encourages me to move outside of my typical musical orbit. Like many, I have my preferred artists, genres, and eras that I tend to dwell within, and having a prompt like a somewhat random theme is a welcome nudge that sends me off path into unfamiliar territory. I would suggest trying it yourself. I have discovered so many interesting artists this way. In addition to using the themes as a jumping off point, I also explore the regional music of the nominating chapter. This inevitably leads to the discovery of so many auditory treasures, not to mention a growing list of destinations I need to visit.

In addition to the theme and region steering the composition of the playlist, I am also always trying to balance the classics with whats happening in music now. Friends sometimes ask how I stay current with music. These monthly auditory scavenger hunts are a great provocation. I don’t usually listen to the radio or watch music on television. My typical process of finding new songs online is more like stumbling through a maze, one song leads to another through a random process of free association; I often lose track of where I began. I also read a lot of articles about new albums, music trends, and emerging artists. I’m a huge fan of Bandcamp’s editorial work. This, combined with word-of-mouth conversations with my musically-obsessed friends, and keeping an eye on the calendar of live local performances is how I typically find out about what is going on in music now. I also always enjoy overhearing what young kids are listening to these days. Apparently radio is still a big thing for them. And from what I have gathered from my youthful contacts, the new Harry Styles track really “slaps”.

Songs of urgency and immediacy dominate this month’s playlist. The theme is Now, as in now hear this! There is no time like the present to discover your favorite new song. It’s now or never so “Tick Tock” with Aldous Harding, experience “Déjà Vu” with Toro y Moi, indulge in the “Present Situation” with Sevyn Streeter, and follow the perennial wisdom of Tyler, The Creator and “Enjoy Right Now, Today”.

Thanks for listening each month. If you are enjoying the playlists, let me know, I would love to hear from you. Give me a shout on Twitter and follow me on Spotify. See you next month.